PLEASE NOTE: This article is not intended to provide legal advice, and is no substitute for speaking with a licensed attorney.  If you have been seriously injured in an accident and have questions, please contact an attorney.  You can reach our office—the Law Office of Benjamin A. Pepper, PLLC—at (360) 733-3966 or via our website at https://bpepperlaw.com.

COVID-19: Information & Resources for Washington Residents

​Links to help you navigate life during the pandemic and find answers to frequently asked questions

There is an enormous (and sometimes overwhelming) amount of information out there about changes in the law resulting from Washington State’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. There are numerous government proclamations, new business regulations, changing rights and duties of landlords and tenants, and many more legal, regulatory, and other changes announced almost every day. Virtually everyone in Washington State has been impacted by COVID-19 in some way, and many of us now have questions that we never dreamed we would ever have to ask.

Frequently Asked Questions

Many people who never expected it are currently unemployed and are seeking or receiving unemployment benefits. What does this mean for small businesses? How long will it last? What are the eligibility requirements for unemployment benefits during this public health crisis? How do recently unemployed workers apply for benefits to support themselves and their families?

What about those who are without health insurance due to job loss or inability to pay for private insurance? This is a risky time to be without health insurance, even for a brief period. How can affordable healthcare be obtained quickly by those who suddenly need it? What about coverage for children or other dependents?

Many people who are still employed find themselves required to work remotely from home. They suddenly face additional logistics and expenses to maintain a suitable remote work environment—for example, the need to maintain faster internet speeds for video-conferencing via Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams, and other platforms that are commonly being used to facilitate meetings while employees work from home. What are the financial and tax implications of working remotely? How can employees obtain assistance with information technology (IT) issues outside the workplace?

Small business owners facing reduced revenue may have employees whom they would like to retain and pay despite the economic downturn and aftermath of the shutdown in March, April, and May. And those same small business owners also have lease or rent obligations, and may have signed long-term leases or other contracts that are now difficult to fulfill. What are their rights and options?

Homeowners and renters have mortgages and leases that require monthly payments, but due to job loss and other economic hardships, those payments may be difficult or impossible to make on time. What rights do they have if they are unable to make those payments?

Others have car payments, credit card debt, student loans, or other obligations. What are the consequences if they are unable to pay on time, if at all? How can they avoid harm to their credit scores? Are deferments or other programs available to ease the burden of debt or student loan payments during the pandemic? What do borrowers need to do?

With school closures or online-only classes, many parents suddenly have childcare needs when their children would normally be in school. Is help available? What are the options for schooling and childcare? Parents are also understandably concerned about increased isolation of their children due to COVID-19—particularly lack of social interaction with other children, teachers, coaches, and others during crucial developmental years. How can social isolation be mitigated? Are schools providing options to address these understandable concerns?

These are just a few of the many important questions facing Washington residents during this challenging time. Although we cannot hope to provide specific answers to all of them in this article, listed below are a number of relevant websites and other resources, with accompanying links and descriptions. We hope that the resources below will serve as useful starting points to find answers to specific questions and obtain additional information and/or assistance as needed.

Where To Find Answers

Washington State Coronavirus Response (COVID-19) website

https://coronavirus.wa.gov

This site includes links to information on COVID testing, contact tracing, unemployment, COVID-19 data, risk assessment, county opening status, and more. The site also includes links to information about food assistance, mental and emotional wellbeing, and face masks/coverings. Also included are links to information for employers and business owners, as well as an FAQ and links for workers seeking information on unemployment benefits. The site is multilingual, with information available in Spanish/Español and more than 35 other languages.

Washington Governor Jay Inslee’s website: COVID-19 Resources page

https://www.governor.wa.gov/issues/issues/covid-19-resources

This site includes chronological links to the latest news and information related to proclamations, guidelines, and other announcements coming out of Governor Inslee’s office.

Washington Law Help COVID-19: Know Your Rights page

https://www.washingtonlawhelp.org/issues/health/coronavirus-covid-19

This site provides information about unemployment and other public benefits, school closures and education, evictions and various other landlord–tenant issues, scams and fraud during the pandemic, court closures and schedule changes for government offices, worker’s rights, family law, protection orders, health insurance, immigration, debt and collection agencies, veterans’ benefits, and more.

Information regarding paid sick leave and paid family and medical leave

https://lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/leave/paid-sick-leave/

https://paidleave.wa.gov/coronavirus/

https://www.abetterbalance.org/resources/know-your-rights-washington-state-paid-sick-leave/

There are specific regulations that govern employees’ rights to earn and use paid sick leave in Washington State, and, on January 1, 2020, a new law was enacted requiring that many employers provide Paid Family and Medical Leave under certain circumstances. Additionally, employees may also have rights under similar federal laws, such as the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The links above contain information on programs for workers who become ill or suffer a serious injury and cannot work, who must miss work to care for an ill or injured family member, or who may be facing another serious issue relating to health or family (e.g., emergency surgery, inpatient treatment, or even the loss of a loved one).

Washington State Bar Association COVID-19 Legal Resources & Information for the Public

https://www.wsba.org/for-the-public/find-legal-help/covid-19-legal-resources

This site includes links to resources for free and low-cost legal assistance, informational webinars and links to legal information and resources addressing such topics as debt collection agencies, evictions, and lawsuits filed by creditors. It provides numerous links to resources relating to COVID-19 (including resources addressing travel, immigration, childcare, insurance claims, and more).

Northwest Justice Project (NJP) and CLEAR hotline

https://nwjustice.org/clear-hotline

The Northwest Justice Project (“NJP”) is Washington’s largest publicly funded legal aid program. It operates a toll-free intake and referral hotline called “CLEAR” (Coordinated Legal Education Advice and Referrals). CLEAR serves as a statewide, centralized point of access for people seeking free or low-cost legal help with matters for which private legal representation generally requires out-of-pocket payment of attorneys’ fees. Examples include divorce, child custody, immigration, and bankruptcy cases (as opposed to serious injury and other “contingency fee” cases, in which private attorneys charge no out-of-pocket attorneys’ fees up front and instead simply retain a contractually agreed percentage of any money obtained for their clients). CLEAR provides legal advice, education, limited legal services, self-help materials, and, where available, referrals to other legal aid and local volunteer lawyer programs. While not specifically aimed at needs relating to COVID-19, members of the community in need due to the pandemic may benefit from the services provided by NJP/CLEAR and its affiliates. In Bellingham, one of our prominent local legal aid organizations doing excellent work in the community is called LAW Advocates: https://lawadvocates.org/.

Washington Health Benefit Exchange: Insurance Options Available for Washingtonians Experiencing Change in Current Income or Employment

https://www.wahbexchange.org/insurance-options-available-for-washingtonians-experiencing-change-in-current-income-or-employment/

This page provides resources and information on obtaining free or low-cost health insurance (or reducing the cost of existing coverage) through the State Health Exchange/Apple Health. Although open enrollment is normally available annually during a specific time period, those whose income and/or employment has been impacted by COVID-19 can seek help now (and can even do so through the Exchange’s mobile application). The following excerpt explains the basics:

“Washington Health Benefit Exchange (Exchange) today is reminding Washingtonians who have seen a change in income to visit WashingtonHealthplanfinder.org or the WAPlanfinder app to see if they may qualify for additional savings on their premiums as well as be eligible for free or low-cost coverage through Washington Apple Health. This reminder is especially important for current customers seeing income changes due to a reduction in work hours during the COVID-19 state of emergency or anyone who has lost employment altogether.”

Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC)

http://mrsc.org/Home/Explore-Topics/Public-Safety/Emergency-Services/Public-Health-Emergencies.aspx

This page provides a table of contents and links to all of MRSC’s novel coronavirus (COVID-19) resources for local governments in Washington State. While mainly aimed at informing local government entities about COVID-related developments, the page also includes links to information about assistance for small businesses, tenants, workers, and others.

Resources for families in Washington State during the pandemic

https://www.momsrising.org/blog/resources-for-washington-state-families-during-covid-19

This site provides information and links covering a variety of topics of potential concern to families during the COVID-19 pandemic, including local and national news and resources.

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PLEASE NOTE: This article is not intended to provide legal advice, nor is it intended to provide comprehensive or authoritative answers to the questions noted above. Rather, it is intended to provide a list of potentially useful resources where Washington residents may be able to obtain answers to their questions or track new developments and changes in the law. The Law Office of Benjamin A. Pepper, PLLC cannot endorse or attest to the accuracy of any information provided by the resources listed above. If you have a legal question or potential claim or other issue, there is no substitute for consulting with a licensed attorney.

Although our firm primarily handles serious injury and wrongful death claims (i.e., we represent victims of car accidents, commercial truck and other motor vehicle accidents, and injuries caused by dangerous products and many other instances of negligence or misconduct, striving to ensure that our clients are treated respectfully and fairly by insurance companies and other entities, have access to needed medical care, can focus on healing rather than paperwork and stressful logistics, and ultimately receive fair and reasonable monetary compensation), we also strive to serve our community on a broader level. Even if we cannot represent you in connection with a matter outside our area of practice, we will make an effort to connect you with someone who can.

You can reach our office at (360) 733-3966 or via our website at https://bpepperlaw.com.